Value your health…the NIGERIAN way!

Main menu

Monthly Archives: July 2012

Post navigation

First things first. I’m really overwhelmed by the number of views and responses my very first post gathered. Not like I was expecting anything less because I’m a strong believer and a ‘I am determined to never giff up’ ~in Kanu Nwankwo’s voice~ kinda girl…JUST KIDDING!!! I’M ECSTATIC! Let me just cut down on the excitement and say a supa-dupa Thank you to everyone who visited, read, assimilated, understood, didn’t understand, shared, criticized, laughed at, and commented on the post. God will make y’all bigger.

I promised to get back to the guys on my next post. As a sort of a disclaimer, this post hereby denies any affiliation with anybody living or dead, any coincidence observed is just what is – a coincidence. That said, I may proceed.

Some months back, I was in my office…well, a part-time job in a community pharmacy situated at Wuse2, Abuja. Sandwiched between notorious hangouts like Wine Shop and Amigos supermarket (yea, people “hang’ there FYI), it did not come as a surprise the categories of drugs and non-drug items that customers demand for. Anyways…this beautiful evening – I work on evening shifts- a dapper young man came in and asked for Ampi-clox, a popular antibiotic brand in Nigeria. Off I went to the shelves, bringing him 2 sachets, which is the specified complete dose. To my dismay, which quickly turned to amusement, this dude said he wanted just 2 capsules. I was honestly surprised, and tried to be all professional about it, trying to explain the pharmaceutical balderdash about the effects of incomplete antibiotic dosage regimen, but my guy would hear none of it. He raved and ranted and questioned my certificate.

I witnessed smoky ears for the first time, no jokes.

When the fracas was finally over, one of the sales-lady called me aside and told me this juicy scoop, ‘Pharmacist, no mind them o, na so them dey do…when them sleep with ashewo finish, them go take 2 capsules of Ampi-clox make them no cash HIV’.I’m like Shuooo??? Shebi HIV na virus? How will an anti-bacterial agent prevent an infection by a virus? Make una help me wonder.

In the months that followed, I encountered several similar situations. Guys ranging from the smart, eloquent and well-dressed, to the ones with abundant swagger to supply the continent, to the ones so razz, a MAULAG babe wouldn’t even think twice about are involved in this act. If we are friends, and you indulge in this shameless and quite senseless act, I really don’t know what to say to you.

I had a male friend once who believed males are almost immune to sexually transmitted diseases. His reason? The length of the penile shaft. For the Yoruba audience (no offense intended), he means the length of his penis. Still don’t understand? Ask the man next to you. I agree with him, because comparing the male reproductive system to that of the females, males have just ONE opening to the outside world, while females have about 3 0r 4. Do the maths. Let me explain this with a simple diagram.

This is the male reproductive system, if by now, you don’t know. You see the urethral opening? That is the only route for movement in and out of the male urogenital system. As I said, I agreed on the near-immunity of males to STDs based on their anatomy. Before micro-organisms travel from any part of a man’s body to the urethral opening, a woman will use the same time to finish dressing up for that wedding…meaning it takes a long time. Heck, the man might just go take a shower, and a good percentage of the organisms will be gone. I can see some dudes smiling.

Wait a minute. We see you. We see you walking down the street, in clubs, at that birthday party, doing the occasional, or in some, ‘frequent’ ‘packing’. Packing had always amused me, right from my early pubertal years. It took me a university degree to find out it was a semi-cool way of alleviating the itchy feeling behind your boxers. Let me give you something to ponder about male itching.

Almost all STDs have the initial symptoms of itching. Do not itch in silence, visit a Physician.

Apart from the risk of contacting HIV, do you know Syphilis? It is such an annoying disease that nobody wants to claim its bragging rights. Italians called it “the Spanish disease.” The French dubbed it “the English disease.” Among Russians, it was known as “the Polishdisease.” Among Arabs? “The disease of Christians“. The disease, syphilis, begins by causing crusty sores in private places. After hidingout in the body for years, it can emerge to drive people insane and then kill them. I think you should have gotten the information by now.

Have you also heard of Gonorrhea, Herpes Simplex Virus type 2 infection, Human Papiloma virus infection, and Chlamydia infection? Along with HIV and Syphilis, they are the 6 most common STDs in men. Despite tremendous advances in understanding and controlling STDs, they’re still out there spoiling the party. Don’t let them spoil yours.

You are such a badass guy that you can’t wash your underwear, or you don’t even wear at all? Things would soon go bad.

Wear clean underwear!

How sexually clean are you? Some of you don’t care if the girl is the dirtiest pig in town. The girl going down on you, do you know her? Some girls carry the oral forms of STDs. A guy gisted me once, ‘… the girl smelt sooo badly, but if you see her ‘uku’(waist) ehn, Adesuwa, I couldn’t just resist… I slept with her o, but I treated myself later…’ Treated yourself for what, If i may ask?

I even heard some of you reuse condoms. Ahn,ahn, Gold circle brand of condoms is just N30.oo for a pack of three.

The prevalence of young hot females living with HIV/AIDs is alarming, no jokes. This doesn’t stop them from fixing brazillian weaves, doing french tips, or colour blocking. My point is, they are attractive. While HIV is not a death sentence, Do not risk it. Know your status no be curse. Strive to know the status of your partner(s).

She’s sizzling, right? spare her a second thought pls…

You think wiping your butt after taking a dump is feminine? Maybe the formation of irritating sores around your favourite region should jolt your thinking faculty to reality.

The girl said no? Good. You might have just saved yourself from a killer disease. Let her go…everything good will come.

This last bit is for the ladies. If, for any reason, your not comfortable with the sanitary condition of your guy’s privates, do not succumb to his moves. Don’t listen to ‘Baby just the tip’, or ‘Ok just your tongue’. What about this my guy who has just finished eating suya and/or pepper soup and the next thing, he wants to perform cunnilingus on his babe. That is all sorts of evil and inconsiderate. Show some respect please! Ladies, let me inform you that his love will not save you from the deadly Pelvic Inflammatory Disease and other wicked infections. His strong love should be enough to drive him into the bathroom to adequately wash up. I hope I have not cramped anybody’s style o.

Ill-health of body or of mind, is defeat. Health alone is victory. Let all men, if they can manage it, contrive to be healthy!”Thomas Carlyle

Hello everyone!!!!! Welcome to my blog, and I really hope you enjoy my first “official” post…

Well, as a lady, my first post will centre around the ‘female-dom’. So here goes. No one likes to be disgraced by seen in the public, itching your ‘veejayjay’ away with so much gusto. We Nigerian girls love to outdo ourselves and others in so many aspects. We want to use the most expensive creams, hair products, clothes, facial cosmetic, perfumes, and a host of other things we bother ourselves about. Some go ahead to order the most expensive douches and make it a point of duty to douche at least three times a day. And what great heartbreak develops when they notice their privates continually itch in-spite of the expensive ‘cleaning’ that had been carried out. Ironically, the itching takes a cue to begin just as you are in that banging party. While I approve of using the best,it is pertinent to know that the most expensive things don’t guarantee their quality or their suitability for you.

Don’t be fooled…some scratching is going down…

Now, arriving at my point, How do you prevent itching of your vagina? How do you ensure that you can go on without the fear of scratching your jock in public while pretending to dance ‘Etighi’? Here are a few points.

Please note that a clean vagina is not only vital for a good reproductive health, it also improves your self-esteem and your feeling of well-being. You really don’t want to be ‘that girl with the smelly down-below’.

NOT ALL VAGINAL DISCHARGES ARE BAD. A healthy vagina is naturally acidic and contains rich quantities of beneficial bacteria that help fend off infections and maintain a normal pH level. A healthy vagina will also secrete small amounts of discharge to keep itself clean, much as saliva is produced to help cleanse your mouth. Any interference with these normal conditions, and you may face vaginal irritation or infection. You get now?

Constant use of antibiotics do not help. Some ladies take antibiotics each time they make use of a foreign toilet. Not like they even complete the doses. When this happens, you promote resistance of otherwise susceptible organisms, and if someday you actually have an infection, none of these antibiotics may work for you. You wouldn’t want to send scientists into the laboratory and have them name a disease condition after you.

Douching can interfere with the vagina’s pH levels, reducing its acidity and setting the stage for bacterial infections. If your vagina has a strong or unpleasant odor, see your doctor; a douche will only cover up the smell without curing the problem that’s causing it. Also avoid using harsh soaps (no Dettol soap down there please) or cleansers on the vulva or inside the vagina, as these also can affect a healthy pH balance.

Avoid medicated soaps!

Avoid self-medication

You love yoghurt? Nice! Cranberry juice? Wonderful! Soya milk? Formidable! These foods have been known to promote vaginal health. Soya contains a weak form of estrogen which can aid in lubrication.

Practice safe sex. You all know this can never ever be over-emphasized. Don’t forget to lubricate if natural lubrication isn’t enough. This can prevent drying and chaffing of the vaginal muscles. If unmarried, abstinence still remains the best. Never undermine your health and that of your unborn generation because of, say, about 15minutes of mindless pleasure. In the throes of passion, forget them not.

Better still, you can use this option!

Its not common practice among Nigerian Ladies, but it is important to visit the gynecologist regularly, at least to do the popular ‘pap smear’ test which detects changes in vaginal cells’ composition.

Three types of vaginal infections are pretty common: yeast infection, especially candidiasis, bacterial vaginosis, and trichomoniasis. You are not a doctor so please refrain from self-medication as these infections have overlapping signs and symptoms. Ensure you are properly treated and complete your medications.

Your vagina should stay clean and dry — and what you wear can affect that. Some girls can wear ‘tights’ for Africa. With our humid weather, all you will achieve with that is a conducive environment for micro-organisms to thrive in. Your favourite panties are not well dried and you want to pay a visit to the boyfriend? Sister, wear another one…He’ll love you just the same. Show me the history books where choice of panties have actually stopped the deed from happening. Wear cotton underwear during the day, and change out of wet swimsuits and sweaty workout clothes as quickly as possible.

Common sense can go a long way in protecting the health of your vagina. After a bowel movement, wipe from front to back to avoid bacterial contamination of the vagina and to lower the risk of bladder infection. Avoid using coloured or perfumed toilet paper. Change sanitary pads and tampons regularly during your period. When you’re not having your period, do not use pads or panty liners to absorb normal vaginal discharge; they will keep moisture and warmth near your vagina, which can result in infection.

Phewwww…..There, you have my two cents. Guys, don’t think we don’t see you scratching. In due time, I’ll get back to y’all.